ICC approves FutureGen pipeline plan

Wednesday

May 14, 2014 at 8:26 AMMay 14, 2014 at 8:26 AM

By Tim LandisBusiness Editor

The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved plans by the FutureGen Alliance to carry carbon dixoxide through a 30-mile underground pipeline to a storage site in northeast Morgan County. The approval announced late Tuesday is contingent on final federal approval of the estimated $1.68 billion, FutureGen 2.0 clean-coal experiement.

An ICC statement said commissioners determined the FutureGen plan was “reasonable and cost effective” as required by law. A retrofitted former Ameren coal plant at Meredosia would supply the CO2.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a preliminary permit in March for four injections wells at the storage site. A decision on the final permit is expected by late summer. The ICC in December 2012 approved a plan for purchase of electricity produced by the FutureGen plant.